KNPV Dutch Shepherds

Please note: our courses are only available to police officers, military personnel and select individuals.

- How to select a puppy with the correct inherent traits;

- Imprinting a puppy for detection, article indication and mantrailing;

- Bitework development;

- Environmental socialisation;

- The correct use of a ball, to produce focused searching, retrieving and possession;

- Tactical off lead obedience;

- Tactical off lead apprehension;

- First person view (FPV) robotics, for the next generation in hunting and apprehending a suspect;

- The correct use of a canine for dynamic entries and building clearances.

Detection Imprinting

We teach our Dutch Shepherds to indicate whilst standing, because its unnatural for them to stand and stare. Lazy dogs may sit and drop and give false indications, but they will not stand and stare, whilst remaining still. We use food as a reward from six to sixteen weeks of age to mark the desired indication; when they try different positions to receive the reward.

Here are two videos explaining why it is more important to imprint a sound indication, rather than searching for the target odor.

The Indication

The Search

This is an example of how we imprint a puppy to indicate for detection. We previously used a clicker to mark the desired indication. We now use a universal verbal marker, which releases them to receive the ball as a reward.

Tica II

Here is an example of an exceptional indication.

Tessa

We recommend that you have a look at the Scandinavian Working Dog Institute website and their YouTube channel, for some excellent examples of scent detection.

Article Indication

We also imprint our pups to indicate on articles (ammunition, firearms, cash) This form of detection may not be necessary when they are deployed, but it further develops their ability to use their nose, when searching.

Noa

Mantrailing

Here is a video of a young male, which has inherited the desirable traits to become a good mantrailing police K9.

Reno

Mantrailing is an essential component, in the apprehension of a suspect.

Brutus

Apprehension

This is an example of how a realistic training season should look like. Notice how calm he is and how logical the training is. Luc 34752 was 8 to 10 months old in the video, he is now deployed as a special operations police K9, with the German SEK.

Luc